The Re-Estize Kingdom

Two hundred years ago, during the chaos of the Evil Deities War, countless nations fell and rose anew.

Amid that upheaval, one kingdom situated in the western part of the continent carved its foundation into a land blessed by nature—surrounded on three sides by mountains and dense forests, with the ocean blocking the fourth. It flourished and solidified its status as a proper kingdom.

Its northern forests, the Azerlisia Mountains to the west, the Tob Great Forest to the south, and the Katze Plains served as natural fortifications gifted by the heavens. With fertile lands and a population of nine million, it was regarded as one of the more powerful human nations on the continent.

However, those who truly understood the kingdom's inner workings evaluated it quite differently.

—The most foolish nation on the continent, brilliant only on the surface.

With the undead-filled Katze Plains on one side and constant harassment from the Beastman Nation beyond, the Re-Estize Kingdom was considered no better than, or even worse than, the weakest among nations—such as the Dragon Kingdom, often mocked for its powerlessness.

And sadly, even such mockery wasn't entirely undeserved. Despite its fertile land and large population, its national power was abysmal, and its internal state chaotic. So much so that commoners openly referred to the royal family as mere puppets.

In fact, the king ruled over only thirty percent of the kingdom's territory. Another thirty percent was controlled by high-ranking nobles, while the remaining forty percent was governed by lesser nobles. For a kingdom, it was shocking how little land was actually under the monarch's direct control.

To make matters worse, the political landscape was utterly disordered. Nobles, who were supposed to serve under the king's authority, formed coalitions of their own—the so-called "Six Great Nobles," divided into two factions: the Noble Faction and the Royalist Faction, constantly at odds with one another.

Even the Royalist Faction, which should have supported the king, would sometimes act against royal decrees for their own benefit. And the king, overwhelmed by the nobles' power, was unable to punish them. With such dysfunction, it's no wonder the monarchy was viewed as toothless.

But it gets worse.

The political rivalry was only part of the rot—corruption ran rampant. Whispers abound in the royal capital of nobles—regardless of faction—colluding with foreign powers or criminal syndicates for personal gain. Regional lords evaded taxes, adjusted rates as they pleased, and exploited commoners without mercy.

At this point, it was debatable whether this was a functioning kingdom or a failed state.

And yet, it still doesn't end there.

Within the capital lurked a massive criminal organization known as the "Eight Fingers"—so infamous that even commoners spoke of them in hushed tones. Protected by nobles from both factions, they brazenly ignored national laws, engaging in human trafficking, illegal drug production, political corruption, and countless other unimaginable crimes.

Despite this, there were no proper forces to suppress them. And whenever a crackdown was attempted, nobles connected to the Eight Fingers used their influence to shut it down. The cancer within the kingdom remained unchecked.

The only semblance of order was maintained by the kingdom's strongest warrior, Gazef Stronoff, known as the king's sharpest blade. Yet even he had most of his sacred equipment confiscated under the pretext of it being royal treasure, and was constantly shuffled around on missions of little importance due to noble interference.

Very few within the kingdom truly grasped the full extent of this collapse—perhaps only a few dozen individuals. And among them, less than half truly understood the gravity of the situation.

One of those rare few was the kingdom's jewel: Princess Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself, also known as the "Golden Princess."

"So... you're planning to disappear from this world?"

"More or less."

The voice was rough, coarse—not something one would expect to hear in a princess's chamber.

But Renner listened with a serene smile. To the world, she was a benevolent, golden-hearted princess. To some nobles, she was naïve and sheltered. But no one knew her true nature. Not a single soul in this world had seen the real her.

The "Golden Princess" spoken of by the world wasn't here. Instead sat a woman—no, a doll—who saw the world only through numbers, cost-benefit analysis, and cold calculation. A genius, perhaps, though one who had never met another like herself.

But one day, her life as a doll changed. She met a boy who looked at her with eyes full of respect and awe, without question or doubt. In that moment, the doll gained humanity and became the masked princess.

A few had begun to sense fragments of her true self, but none had pierced to her core. No one in this world, that is.

"Don't be too disappointed. You discovered our existence on your own. That means you're qualified. If the conditions are met, you can call us anytime. That's what that gift we gave you is for."

The man lounging disrespectfully on the chair before her—Monkyspanner—spoke with disinterest.

"And if anything happens, we'll protect that boy of yours. He's weak as hell, so I wouldn't trust him to survive much on his own."

"I'm grateful," Renner replied with her usual smile.

They were alone in her room. It was the middle of the night. A rough, rugged man and a princess—alone. Yet she showed not a hint of tension.

She knew. This man felt no sexual attraction toward her. As a woman, that might have stung her pride, but she didn't care. After all, they had a contract. Monkyspanner was here because she had invited him. Their interaction was bound by agreement.

"I truly owe you all a great deal. I wonder how I'll ever repay the favor."

"There's no 'favor' here. We're simply following the law."

"Then I'll always be grateful for such a generous law."

Renner giggled softly.

She had noticed them long ago.

It was when she first began to truly see—gathering knowledge, analyzing the world, putting together the pieces. The first anomaly she identified was right beside her.

The ancient family known as Dragon's Dream.

Others either feared, praised, or envied them. But Renner sensed something strange.

An overwhelming sense of otherness—as if the world was a perfectly crafted mechanism, and they were the single protruding gear at its center. With no solid evidence, she nonetheless knew. And that was enough to spark her curiosity.

Without realizing it, she began gathering information, analyzing it, and striving to uncover the truth behind them. Then one day, an anonymous letter was delivered to the main estate of Dragon's Dream.

From that moment on, the puppet princess of the royal family gained a subtle yet valuable connection to the prestigious household—one that others could never dream of attaining, no matter how much gold they offered. As proof of this connection, she received an unremarkable ring.

Many were puzzled by why Princess Renner would wear such a plain accessory. But what she received was no ordinary trinket—it was a powerful magic item engraved with various enchantments: defensive spells to protect her from harm, anti-curse magic, enhancements that kept her body in optimal condition, communication spells for specific targets, and more. If this ring were to be auctioned off, it might fetch a price rivaling the entire royal treasury.

However, what brought Renner the greatest satisfaction wasn't the item itself—but the guarantee of a secure escape route, not just for herself, but also for someone precious to her should the worst happen.

"We can't take you with us just yet. It'd cause too much noise if you disappeared from your current position so suddenly. Tie up the loose ends quietly. With your brain, that shouldn't be difficult."

"Yes, but my abilities alone are limited. There's only so much I can do on my own."

"Hmm, fair point."

Monkyspanner stroked his chin.

Just a few days ago, he had been dismissed as a dumb monkey during the Shinshi council. But the truth was, it wasn't that he was dumb—it was that guys like Orochi and Mary were just exceptionally sharp. He never considered himself stupid. While he wasn't good at grand strategy or elaborate planning, he was surprisingly quick-witted in short-term or tactical thinking.

"I get what you're saying. So, what do you want? We'll be vanishing soon. We'll leave behind some shells, but the real us will disappear entirely."

"In that case, could I borrow one of those shells?"

"Lending it is no issue… but I'd prefer not to attract too much attention. Don't want unnecessary eyes on us right before we go under."

"Oh my, does the great family worry about what others think?"

Renner's words would sound reasonable to anyone. In fact, if you asked who held the most influence in the Re-Estize Kingdom, most people—noble or commoner—would answer: Monkyspanner El Dragondream, head of the great household.

Mentioning King Ramposa III would only invite ridicule. Compared to Dragondream, what did the royal family have to offer? Some even went as far as to claim that Dragon's Dream was the true ruling house of the Re-Estize Kingdom. And such opinions weren't limited to commoners—nobles felt the same.

With 150 years of legacy behind them and a power level said to surpass even the kingdom's own, Dragon's Dream was a household of adventurers whose military might and influence couldn't be ignored. When discussing power that transcended authority, they were the clearest example.

People often joked that if the head of Dragon's Dream ever said—even in jest—that he wanted to be king, the kingdom's ruler would change hands in no time. And whenever such talk spread, the snide rebuttal always followed: "Since when did the royal family rule this country?"

Even the royal household sighed at such rumors. If Dragon's Dream didn't exist, perhaps the nobles' influence might've waned a bit. Their overwhelming presence right in the royal capital, rivaling the crown's authority, was one reason the royal family couldn't assert itself.

Some nobles even went so far as to secretly lobby for Dragon's Dream to take over the kingdom. Commoners, too, seemed to prefer it—after all, the royal family did little but tax and exploit, while Dragon's Dream earned their reputation by fighting monsters at the front lines. It was clear which side the people would support.

Given all that, there was no need to care about appearances. Renner pointed this out, but Monkyspanner just scratched his head.

"Well, sure, but since we're about to disappear, I'd rather not draw unnecessary attention. If you need something done, send a request through official channels. I've already arranged a connection with Blue Rose. If you go through them, they'll handle just about anything."

"My, thank you."

Renner's eyes curved in a graceful smile—but her pupils remained cold. Monkyspanner clicked his tongue internally.

This woman's cunning was on par with Orochi and Mary. The only difference was her terrifying lack of human warmth. At least Orochi scolded with a strange affection underneath. But this one—Renner—was coldly logical, drawing clear lines between herself and anyone outside her interests.

This was why he hated brainy types. They left no room for affection. She wasn't the type one could ever feel attached to. Worst of all, she was completely untrained in combat or survival—something Monkeyspanner found especially frustrating.

But there was no helping it.

Among Shinshi's laws on absorbing talents, there was a special clause: those who reach awareness of Shinshi's existence purely by their own efforts are granted citizenship, regardless of ability. Such individuals receive privileges beyond the standard ones. As long as their actions don't influence the outside world, they're even allowed to bring a few chosen companions with them.

Princess Renner met those conditions. If she wished to go, they would have to accept her. The only thing stopping it now was her status as royalty. Once she managed to "bury" that identity, they could take her in.

"Well then, I'm off. I'll stick around for about another month to tidy things up. If you need anything, contact me before then."

"Thank you for your consideration."

Renner bowed her head as Monkyspanner waved lazily and yawned. By the time she looked up, he was already gone.

She smiled.

Truly impressive. Normally, she didn't let her emotions show. But this time, even she was awestruck.

What would the world think if they knew that the great family known as Dragon's Dream was but a tiny fraction of something even greater—a mere tip of the iceberg?

Of course, she was bound by contract and couldn't reveal that fact. But still, she couldn't help but smile.

In a way, they were just like her. Their gaze wasn't focused on this world. To them, everything here was insignificant. They valued everything based on their own internal scale—just like her.

Maybe that's why she felt a strange kinship with them. She had proudly exposed their secret, without any safeguards.

Looking back, it had all turned out unbelievably well. But back then, she wouldn't have minded if they'd come to kill her to protect their secret. She hadn't cared. It was only after meeting Climb that her life had gained meaning.

And so, she admired their power—the ability to do anything, to see everything as trivial.

Once, she had wondered how to exploit that power.

Then, once she understood it to some extent, she began pondering how she could join them.

But now…

"Which side should I choose?"

Smiling with crimson lips, Renner recalled the Demon who had visited her recently with a tempting offer.

***************************

***************************

If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Vanity01